Troubled Waters || Book One

~7~

"This chowder is delicious, Chef!" Sera exclaimed, shoving another spoonful of the warm soup into her mouth. "What's your secret?"

The Frenchman smiled and adjusted the white floppy hat on his head. "Scrotum de porc."

Sera giggled and wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve. "I don't know what you said, but it sounds delicious!"

She and the five remaining crewmen were all seated at a makeshift table made up of kegs of gunpowder and a broken chessboard.

She was stuck between Wolfie and Mange, who seemed to be having a contest to see who could slurp their chowder the loudest. Gibbs sat across from her and Mongol the Viper, a stoic individual who rarely spoke, beside him. Next to Mongol sat an older man who seemed to be more interested in writing in what Sera presumed to be his journal than eating or conversing with his fellow crewmen.

"Say," she muttered out the corner of her mouth, leaning toward Mange. "Who's that man over there next to Mongol?"

"Hmm? The old man?"

She nodded. He snickered and picked between his teeth with his dirty fingernail. "That's Elmer. Fancies himself an alchemist. He's tryin' to make a paste or somethin' like that. 'To hold things together', he says."

"Oh." Sera nodded slowly, quickly averting her eyes when Elmer caught her staring. She cleared her throat and picked up her tankard, studying the frothy beer within before taking a teensy sip in order not to repeat her episode the first night on the Pearl.

For whatever reason, she could not hold liquor to save her life. She could get drunk from the smallest amount, even a couple sips. In truth, it was a little frustrating. She wanted to drink, she wanted to be able to enjoy the taste of spiced spirits without spewing the contents of her stomach every time.

"Good evening, gents."

Captain Jack Sparrow appeared at the foot of the stairs with a toothy grin on his face. The crew exchanged puzzled looks.

"Evenin', Cap'n." Gibbs said, giving him a questioning look. "Is, uh...Is somethin' wrong?"

Jack widened his eyes and nodded as subtly as he could toward Sera.

"Oh, right." Gibbs muttered, casting a sheepish glance around the table.

"Seraphina," Jack purred, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I am hereby extending-"

"Don't touch me."

He quickly retracted his hand and put it behind his back. "I am hereby extending an invitation for you to join me in my cabin for supper."

She rolled her eyes. "I've already had supper."

"A little extra won't hurt, eh?" He practically lifted her off of the barrel she was seated on, prompting her to curse loudly and pull away from him. "What the hell are you doing? I told you I've already ate! I don't want to go to your bloody cabin!"

"Fine!" He snapped, looking offended. "Just remember that the next time you ask!"

A crease formed on her brow. "What? I didn't ask you!"

"I know that! Look," he put his hand on her shoulder again, but the look on her face made him pull away as if he had been burned. "I'm tryin' to be generous, to make up for all those... terrible things I did when we were younger."

"Like?"

He sighed and shook his head, lowering his eyes. "It pains me to talk about this....but, do you remember that time I put an eel in your bath water?"